Feature Quilt - Aurora Borealis

Aurora Borealis

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It seems I continue to have a love affair with curved piecing, and my free-motion quilting continues to evolve too. This past week the northern lights managed to make their way far enough south that Colorado was able to see them. I was reminded of this quilt that I made in 2017. I’m not really trying to emulate the northern lights in this quilt, but rather that magical swirling effect that happens when they appear.

The quilting is all free-motion on a domestic machine with no pre-marking. I faced this quilt as I didn’t feel a binding would be beneficial. I used fabrics that I hand-dyed many many years ago. I didn’t use a recipe, so these are one of a kind—special fabrics that sit around waiting for that perfect opportunity. Oh wait! I’m sure none of you have any fabrics that have lingered around waiting for that perfect time to be used. Am I right?

TRY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

Choose your own difficulty. Click the 9-patch grid to change number of pieces. Click the circle arrow to make the puzzle pieces rotating instead of stable orientation. Also, there are tips under the "?" on the upper right of the puzzle. If you'd like a full screen version, click the button below. Have fun!

Jigsaw Puzzle

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Feature Quilt - Mini Amethyst

Mini Amethyst by Rachelle Denneny (Australia)

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In 2011 I won this little miniature quilt at the IQA Miniature Quilt Auction which was an annual tradition at the International Quilt Festival. Rachelle Denneny, from Australia, made this quilt, Mini Amethyst, the year following her Best of Show win in Houston. This is a mini version (about 18" x 18") is a version of her much larger prize-winning quilt. It’s amazing the workmanship that goes into miniature quilts. Miniature quilts require attention to detail and are not made as quickly as one might think. Are you a fan of miniature quilts? Or do you stick to the larger ones that are wall art and/or utilitarian and functional?

TRY THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

Jigsaw Puzzle

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Photo Of The Week

52-Week Photo Challenge Class Week 41 - Decay

Week 52 Photo Challenge:

Week 41, Decay

Photo by Kathleen Madden

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Kathleen says:

I went out nearly every day to take photos and kept my camera in the passenger seat of my car. I stepped out of my car at a friend's house and looked down and saw this purple leaf against the totally decayed ones. I liked the contrast in colors and stages of decay surrounding it.

Critique Group Challenge from week 41

Critique Group Challenge:

Week 41, Wide Angle

Photo by Julie Titus

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Julie says:

I haven't played with this lens attachement in years, but it's really fun! It's billed as a super macro attachment, but also has this xtra wide view when zoomed out (18mm is my widest).

I also got a brief helicopter ride this week, and thought about submitting one of those images, but this one just makes me happy for fall, and I think is a fun point of view.

Smart Phone Photo Challenges
Week 41 - Squares

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 41, Squares

Photo by Debbie Lomas

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Debbie says:

I found this week challenging. Other than fabric quilts or cutting boards, I didn’t have much inspiration. I found the sulphur crested cockatoo this morning behind some squares. Edited in Prisma

Ricky's Challenge Photo

Smart Phone Challenge:

Week 41, Squares

Photo by Ricky Tims

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Ricky says:

I am in a small little Airbnb, looking for squares, and I found some squares in the tile floor of the bathroom. I shot the photo and then I edited the photo and distressed FX. I really wanted to do something extra so I researched double exposure apps and I found one called Image Blender. I used that and blended the same image on top of itself, rotated it 180°, shrunk it so it was smaller and then cropped off part of it so that it was square. So now I have another tool in my toolbox

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Smart Phone Photo Class 2021

INTERACTIVE CLASS WITH RICKY TIMS!

SMART PHONE PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS

Do it anywhere—anytime!

Join me for my Smart Phone Photography Class!

iPhone • Android • Galaxy

Nine sessions, plus a bonus session on how to photograph a quilt. Classes are NOT LIVE (watch anytime).

This course has been condensed to 4.5 weeks—two sessions per week.

Class starts Sunday, October 24, 2021

ONLY $99!

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Feature Quilt - Legacy Quilt

Legacy Quilt

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There is a musical, The Quilters, that features various quilt blocks that tell the story. Our little theater in La Veta, Colorado produced their version of the musical and I had the privilege of designing the quilt. Blocks from the quilt are used at various times throughout the production, and then the full quilt is revealed at the very end. That means that each block has to be made twice - one for the scenes, and the others put into the full quilt for display at the end. I was very thankful that members of the Colorado Quilt Council assisted by making blocks for this quilt. I assembled it, and Cyndi McChesney quilted it. The quilt was raffled and the proceeds benefited the performing arts in our little town.